EQxD Hackathon 2017

These are extraordinary times for our country and also our profession. Now more than ever, Architects need to be agile, open-thinking change agents while articulating core values and advocating for just living environments that our communities need and deserve. Future architects will need to develop "HACK" skills in order to adapt with the hyper-rapid speed of today's technology advancements.

What the Hack? - Unpacking the Workshop Experience

Join us Wednesday, April 26th from 1-5pm at the AIA Conference on Architecture [A'17] in Orlando, Florida for [W304] EQxD Hackathon: Architecture and the Era of Connection (and Disruption). One of the most unique and talked-about pre-conference workshops, we have developed a reputation within the Conference for developing a game changing learning experience that has yet to be rivaled. In it's third year, we celebrate the chance to tinker, ideate and hack at the intersection of design, technology, and equitable practice. We have also fine tuned our "UX" aka User Experience by engaging with the teams before during and after the event to make it the best participant engagement event at A'17 - Conference on Architecture.

The day will begin with a diverse panel of industry leaders and entrepreneurs discussing future architectural opportunities in the new digital economy. Once you're inspired, the "mini-hackathon" format will let you develop a real plan of action for creating a positive impact on the profession. You’ll leverage your design thinking skills to rapidly prototype radical, actionable initiatives and explore future business models for the architecture profession. You will be grouped in teams to "Hack" a problem that you have defined. At the end of the session, each group will present an "Elevator Pitch" to the Jurors.

BE IN IT, TO WIN IT!

10 SCHOLARSHIPS FOR STUDENTS, EP's and Young Architects

Equity by Design is excited to announce that we will be providing our 3rd year of Scholarships to attend the much anticipated Pre-Conference workshop EQxD Hackathon [WE304] at A'17 Conference on Architecture in Orlando. This year's theme will be Architecture and the Era of Connection (and Disruption) on Wednesday April 26th from 1-5pm located at the Orlando Convention Center. The #EQxDHack17 Happy Hour will follow at a nearby location from 5:30-7:30pm to announce the winners.The scholarship is focused on providing access for Architecture School students, recent graduates, emerging professionals, and newly licensed architects to this "not to be missed" un-conventional workshop.

Jason Campbell is an advocate for inter-disciplinary action. He has paired professional practice experience at Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, with academic instruction, and community engagement. He has coordinated architectural design studios at the U.C. Berkeley College of Environmental Design, is an architectural photographer, and is the co-founder and design director of ELL San Francisco. ELL is a flex-use platform for the exhibition of art, architecture, and design, emphasizing the mediation of disparate media and conceptual bases.

Esther Sperber founded Studio ST Architects in 2003 after five years at Pei Partnership Architects, working closely with Mr. I M Pei. She was born and raised in Jerusalem, Israel. Her B. Arch is from the Technion and Masters from Columbia’s GSAPP. Studio ST’s work includes numerous high-end residential interiors, the 14th Street Y community center renovation, synagogues designs and international competitions. Their work has been published in architectural magazines and monographs. In 2008, Studio ST was included in Wallpaper magazine’s list of “World’s 50 Hottest Young Architectural Firms” and their Swell House received Architectural Record’s “Best Unbuilt House”. Esther Sperber writes and lectures on architecture and psychoanalysis, two fields that aim to reduce human distress and widen the range of our experiences. She has lectured widely and her essays have been published in the New York Times, Lilith Magazine, The Jewish Week, Ms Magazine and academic journals and books.

Carlos Velazquez is the President and CEO of Epic Scan, Ltd. He has grown Epic Scan from an idea into a premier 3D service provider in the architectural, engineering and construction industries. Carlos has been involved with Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) since its inception and more recently advanced photogrammetry techniques. He has developed and implemented LiDAR system scanning strategies since 1999, completing hundreds of projects around the world across various industries - including architecture, archaeology, civil, forensic, heritage, marine, mining, nuclear and oil and gas. Carlos has worked in conjunction with equipment manufacturers to develop and improve laser scanning process and methods. A native Oregonian, Carlos loves to be outdoors with his family. His favorite activity is taking road trips across the states in the family RV.

Lilian values a firm culture that embraces collaboration, connection to the community, risk taking and fostering talent. As one of the studio's Project Directors, she helps lead the design process and build teams that deliver aspirational outcomes. Lilian attended the University of California, Berkeley, where she earned her BA in Environmental Design and graduated with honors. After completing her studies, Lilian worked at architecture firms around the Bay Area, including Stanley Saitowitz, the City of San Francisco’s Bureau of Architecture, SOM and NBBJ. Recently completed projects include the International Terminal at SFO, the Salk Institute for Biological Studies Master Plan, the Center for Science and Innovation at USF, the L.S. Skaggs Pharmacy Research Building at University of Utah, and the 21st Century Learning Environments Guidelines for CSU East Bay. A leader within the Society for College and University Planning (SCUP), she organized the first-ever Hackathon for MOOC’s as part of the Pacific Regional Conference and is currently the Program Chair for the Pacific Regional Council.

Lilian utilizes her experience as a practice leader and licensed architect to develop synergistic relationships with leaders throughout the architectural and educational communities. Deeply involved with the local community, Lilian works to raise awareness and help break the cycle of poverty in the Bay Area through her work as a Tipping Point Community Partner. Lilian also acts as Co-Chair of AIA San Francisco’s Equity by Design, a call to action for both women and men to realize the goal of equitable practice and communicate the value of design to society.

Rosa is an architect with over 23 years experience, who has been involved in a variety of award-winning and internationally acclaimed projects, from the aesthetically minimal, highly technical development of the glass structures for Apple’s original high-profile retail stores, to the innovative and sustainable LEED NC Gold–certified Lorry I. Lokey Graduate School of Business at Mills College in Oakland, California. As founding chair of Equity by Design and President-Elect 2018 of AIA San Francisco, Sheng has led Equity in Architecture Surveys in both 2014 and 2016, authored AIA National Resolution 15-1 in 2015, and served on the Equity in Architecture Commission in 2016. She has presented nationally and abroad including Boston, New York, Lisbon, Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Seattle. Equity by Design has been featured in Architect Magazine, Architectural Record, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, TEDxPhiladelphia and KQED/NPR

Frances Choun

Vice President McCarthy Building Companies

Frances is an established and trusted leader as Vice- President of McCarthy’s Northern Pacific Division. Her visionary leadership has propelled the company forward as one of the largest commercial contracting firms in California. Frances launched her career in Architecture, where she developed an interest in the construction side of the business. As an industry expert, Frances is regularly called upon by local, trade and national media to address new and projected trends, and is considered a pioneer in advancing women in the construction field. Last year, Frances was in the pioneering class of the Equity by Design Hackathon at the AIA Convention in Atlanta. This year, her fervor for hacking continues and she will help us select a winner.